Sheep catcher



Oct. 7, 1947. A M, BLACKFORD, 1R 2,428,734

SHEEP cA'TcHER Filedl Jan. 28, 1946 Patented Oct. 7, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT (')FFICE4 6 Claims.

This invention relates to animal catchers, in which an individual animal is selected for a particular purpose and hobbled or otherwise gripped for the purpose of carrying out the end for which the action is taken. The invention is designed more particularly for the catching of sheep, as for shearing purposes.

It has been the general practice when catching sheep, as well as other animals, to employ a suitable implement which is thrust into the zone of the legs of the animal for the purpose of grasping one or more of the legs and thus secure the animal for the particular service which is to be performed, generally a shearing service or lambing. This practice is not only diiiicult, but Where the implement is passed beneath the animal from the rear, for instance, it enters the zone of the udder of the sheep and may injure the udder. Obviously, the user of the implement and the implement must be suiciently close to the ground when manipulating the implement as to permit such action, a position which is more or less unnatural and therefore tedious and difficult, unless a group of animals should be herded Within a corral and thus have little opportunity to move about, or where the animals pass through a chute or other restricted space, where there is little opportunity for the animal to move about.

While the present invention can be utilized in a practice similar to that indicated, the invention primarily is designed t permit the animal to be gripped by the neck rather than by the foot. With the foot as the gripped member, there is a possibility that the animal in its efforts to escape could become damaged as by the breaking of a leg or the like; by gripping the individual sheep by the neck, this particular danger is avoided through the fact that the part of the animal being gripped is considerably larger and of an entirely different conformation and in a zone where it would be somewhat difcult for the animal to advance or retreat, especially in view of the fact that with the gripping jaws over the neck, any material struggle by the animal could tend to close the windpipe andby this action tend to discourage such attempts.

In. addition to these advantages, the implement has the very definite advantage of being able to be used by the operator while either afoot or mounted, as on horseback, in an automobile, etc. Whether afoot or mounted, the implement can be applied from above, or from the side, or even the rear, the trigger zone being s0 positioned relative to the mouth oi the open jaw members as will enable the user by a quick tour of the gripping jaws are so developed as to provide for the gripping action on the neck without, however, affecting the breathing of the animal under normal conditions-should the animal struggle, however, the jaws, then in gripping position, would set up a pressure on the neck such as to aiect the windpipe and in this respect tend to discourage struggle by the animal. Where the implement is to be used with the foot of the animal, the dimensions and contours are varied accordingly.

structurally, the implement is of simple type and thus of comparatively low cost of production, without materially aiiecting the eiliciency of the implement in action.

To these and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed, said invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointedout in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the vieWs:-

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of the operating end of the implement-the handle being partially bro-ken away-the head being shown in open position in full lines and in closed position in dot and dash lines;

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on lines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, lll indicates the head of the implement which carries the gripping jaws and also provides a seat Illa for one of the members Il of a sectional handle,'the latter being preferably formed of metal tubing such, for instance, as aluminum, and is preferably formed in a number of sections (preferably three) to permit of use afoot or mounted, the sections being assembled in the latter case; in practice, the sections are formed for ready assembly and disassembly in a well known manneras by having a tenen at one end and a socket at the otheror telescoping one inside the other, this being a common form of structure and not illustrated in detail in the drawings.

The head is also formed with a pair of arms Ib symmetrically disposed with respect to the head axis and forming with the head an approximately U-shaped supporting zone for the gripping jaws I2.

The jaw members I2 are substantial duplicates, being generally similar in contour and dimensions and are mounted in opposed relationship on the arms Ib, each being pivoted to its particular arm at a point intermediate the ends of the jaw members. Due t0 Athe location of the :pivot-h indicated at :I3-one, end zone "ofeach .jaw member is located on the inner side of its arm and has a length suicient to extend beyond a line` corresponding to the head axis; since these zones thus cross each other at such line, the inner lends of the combined Zones present ya foot-likeappearance with the feet oppositely disposedso that the combined feet produce a' trigger Vzone "I4 which crosses the line of such head axis and is symmetrical to such line. The portion of each jaw member lying outside of the pivot I3 is of a desired contour and has `a length suicientto cause "the extreme outer ends o'f the two members to overlapwhen the members are moved to lclosed position, with the member length sufcient t receive 'the neck of the animal, Isuch as a sheep, fthe inner face fof this portion of the jaw member 'being suitably curved to permit the jaw members to rnove 'to closed Vposition without materially affecting the :exterior 'of 'the neck of the animal.

is app-arent from Figure 1, in which the lfull line position represents 1an open position of the jaw members, the two members `are symmetrically disposed and-have their vfree 'ends spaced 'apart a 'distance sufficient to permit the user 'to readily pass the implement over the neck of 'the animal, the trigger Zone I4, then in its full line position, contacting the top of the 'neck so that 'continued Apressure 'by Ithe user, causes the :trigger to yield and Vthus rock the jaw members 'on their 'pivots to close the jaws at the sides `of tand beneath vthe neck, as indicated in dot Yand "dash lines :in Fig. 1, the'feet of the jaw members passing inwardly within the space between the two arms as the trigger 'zone recedes under such pressure.

To lockth'e va'w members `'in the closed position, eac'h .jaw member is formed on its lower 'surface vwith an 'arcuate ratchet tooth rzon'e I5 which'is adapted to cooperate with a pivoted pawl I6 carried by the 'arm on which the jaw .member is mounted. As indicated in Fig. 2, the pawl I6 is preferably pivoted at Ia and the spring 'Ib tends to hold the pawl yieldingly in 'contact with the tooth zone I; hence, vas the trigger zone moves inwardly 'under fthe pressure exerted by -th'e user of the implement and the resistanceof the neck of the animal, the pawl rides over the faces of the successive teeth of lthe tooth zone, and latches one of the teeth when the user 'ends his pressure on the trigger zone, thus preventing the jaw members from opening and retaining the animal gripped by Ithe implement.

,-A suitable releasing struct-ure connected to the respective pawls and having an operating handle readily accessible to the user, will serve to release the ,paw-ls and permit ythe jaw members to return to their normal open positions. A simple form o-f such releasing .means is show-n in Fig. 1, in which each cord I8 of a pair fhas one end secured to a .pawl I6 andthe opposite end connected to a kconnection IS which, in turn, is connected to a pivoted operating `lever 2!) carried by the head I il. When the lever is Vmoved on its .pivot .to draw on cords I8, both pawls will be released from the between the outer ends of the jaw members, thus enabling the implement to be used under varying conditions. For instance, where it is being used with older age animals, in which the necks are normally larger, the space between the jaw member ends should be larger than where animals such as lambs are being gripped. The distance between such ends of the jaw members should be 5sunloient to permit the -user 'to readily pass the implement over the neck 'of thealnimal, but if such distance is materially excessive, the trigger zone would need to travel some distance before the ends of the members reach a restraining point, vso that in such case, lan alarmed animal could materially affect the gripping operation, 'due to the delay Yin closing of the jaw members. By varying the normal distance, it is possible to provide for quickly bringing the ends of the jaw members into a position where the animal is subject to some restraint by a comparatively small length of movement ofthe trigger Zone.

foi the jaw members isY p'r'm/-ided :on rthe 'inner 'Zone of the member with :several openings '2=|=, spaced yapart and substantially equally 'ci-IstantI from pivot I3, corresponding openings V21 of the two jaw members being opposite eachlothen'and being ldesigned to be ctmne'cted yieldinglyby a spring'22 which -fhafs its ends mounted within corresponding openings 2-1.. In Fig. f1 fthe spring 'is shown fas mounted in the middle openings, the position 'of the Aopenings in this -ilgure Ibeing on a line which would pass through both pivots vfI'3; the spring in this position thus I'being' the shortest distance betweenthese two Tpoints, and therefore having its least tension value. will be obvious, pressure on the trigger zone will rock the jaw members, and thus swing the spring fends in yarcs about t-he respective pivotsand *thereby increase the tension of the spring; inotfher words, any movement of the jaw-members from this inactive ,position of the spring will tend to 'fini- Y crease the spring tension, the value ofthe latter being dependent upon vthe fexten-t of throw of `the vjaw members.

When it is desired :to lessen the distance between the outer 'ends of the jaw members, 'the spring is shifted to the upper pair of Vopenings -2I in Fig. 1, thus bringing. these openings *onto such line Ibetween the pivots I3; and when it is fde sired to increase the distance between :such outer ends of the jaw emem'bers, thespring ris shifted to the lower openings l2|, itV being understood that with each shift in position of the spring, the normal position of the trigger Zone also changes. i

In practice, if the operator is afoot, he would probably use but one of the handle sections; if he is mounted, other sections 'would be added sufiicient to give `the length of vhandle required to readily reach the neck :zone of the animal. vIn either case, the jaw members would be in the ful-l line inactive position of` Fig. I1, fbeing held thereby by the spring n22. `.When the operator kis suiiciently close to` the `neck Yzone of the animal, he thrusts the implement, lthus placing the free ends of .the jaw members at 4the sides oftheia'nlmal neck, continuing Ithis until the .trigger zone :is reached, whereupon further advance ofthe .implement causes the trigger zione vto recede vand thus throw the outer ends of the ljaw, members in the closed position, in which position they will be retained until the pawls are released by manipulation of the lever 20, at which time the tensioned spring 22 will act to withdraw the jaw members to the normal inactive position, the operator holding the pawls inactive during this period. l

The advantages of this structure not only flow from the fact that the neck of the animal is being engaged rather than a foot of such animal, but from the fact that the jaw members are of symmetrical structure and contour and in each of their positions extend symmetrically with respect to the line of the implement axis. As a result, the throat between the free ends of the jaw members-and which is in open position excepting when the implement is actually being used-is in direct line with the line in which the pressure is being exerted by the user so that the user is better able to direct the implement to the desired zone and without likelihood of having the jaw members strike and alarm the animal before the implement can reach the trigger-active position to close the jaw members.

In addition, the structure is exceedingly simple and of few parts, being so formed as to be comparatively light in weight and hence more easily manipulated when the longer length handle form is being employed, enabling more accurate direction of the implement in service.

As is apparent, the spring 22 need not be of high tension value, thus enabling the trigger zone to operate with a developing tension increase but at a comparatively small increasing rate. Since the spring is under its increased tension position at the time the pawls are released, sufficient power will be present to quickly shift the jaws to their open position as the spring tends to resume its lower tensioned value and thus shifts the jaw members on their pivots until the spring reaches its normal position as shown in Fig. 1.

While the implement thus described is particularly adapted for use in gripping the animal by the neck, it is apparent that if there would be a change in the particular contour and dimensions of the outer zone of the jaw members together with other minor changes, the implement can be employed to grasp a leg of the animal, and Such variation is contemplated within the invention.

While I have herein shown and described a particular and preferred form of the invention and pointed out ways in which it is designed to be used, it will be readily understood that changes or modications therein may be found desirable or essential in meeting the exigencies of use or the individual desires of the user and I thereforel reserve the right to make any and al1 such changes as may be found desirable or essential, insofar as the same may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims, when broadly construed.

I claim: V

1. A sheep-catching implement comprising a jaw-carrying head having a handle, said head including a pair of arms symmetrically disposed relative to the head axis to thereby present a head of general U-shape formation, a jaw member individual to and pivotally carried by each arm, said jaw members being generally similar in contour and dimensions and mounted in opposed relation with the pivot point of a member spaced from the opposite ends of the jaw member to thereby locate the inner end of the member between the opposite pivot points of the arms with such inner end having a length to extend beyond the head axis to thereby cause the inner ends of the two members to form a trigger zone symmetrical to the head axis, the outer portion of the member presenting a zone such that when the two members are concurrently swung pivotally in opposite directions toward each other, such zones will form an animal-gripping zone with the trigger zone active to provide the swinging movement through trigger contact with the animal, a spring connecting the inner portions of the members and operative to swing the outer portions of the members to open position, a pair of ratchet members carried by the head and cooperative respectively with a segmental tooth-like face carried by each jaw member to thereby automatically latch the jaw members in a desired closed and animalgripping position, and releasing means operative at will for releasing the ratchet members and permitting the spring to swing the jaw members to open position.

2. An implement as in claim 1, characterized in that the contour of the jaw members and the dimensions of the implement are such that the animal-gripping zone of the closed members will be dimensioned to receive the neck zone of the animal Without animal damage, whereby the implement may be made active while the operator is afoot or mounted for travel.

3. An implement as in claim 1, characterized in that the spring is substantially symmetrical to the head axis with each of the jaw members having a plurality of spaced apart spring-receiving openings to permit variation in the dimensions of the gripping zone of the members in open p0- sition.

4. An implement as in claim 1, characterized in that the ratcheting members are spring-supported to thereby cause ratcheting action in presence of jaw member movement under pressure applied to the members through activity of the trigger zone, the releasing means being manually operative and concurrently active on both ratchet members.

5. An implement as in claim 1, characterized in that the trigger zone and the gripping zones of the jaw members are located in advance of the arms of the head during inactivity of the implement with the gripping face of each jaw member having a length and contour such as to overlie 

